Wednesday, August 24, 2016

I'm not joking. I've found so much genre goodness happening in the next couple of weeks that I haven't had the time to work on October proper. I feel like I'm in a Zack Snyder zombie movie. No matter how fast I am, things just keep piling up....

And the events seem to be coming at me

EVEN FASTER

than these undead runners

So, I'm releasing this update a bit sooner than I want to, but I need to let you know about Weird Wednesday and all the other events happening before the weekend. Keep checking the Horror Calendar for more updates over the weekend, and I hope to have a Halloween page or two up by Labor Day.

Oh, and if you are hosting, or know of, a genre related event happening in the Pacific Northwest, please email me at shadowoverportland@live.com. Listing on this site is FREE! No fees, no expected comp tickets, just a chance to get your event out to my readers. And my readership in October can get very impressive.

Until I can get the updates completed, check out all the ghoulish events taking place through Labor Day weekend under The Shadow Over Portland!

Ongoing

Submissions are being accepted for the PDXtreme Fest, 3 days of horror, crime, gore and more at the the Academy Theater (7818 SE Stark) in Portland, OR, December 2 through 4 this year. You can find more details on how to enter your film at the Facebook Event Page.

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Mental Trap Escape Room Game invites you, and four to ten members, to escape a locked room in one hour. And yes, it is timed. Created by the devious minds behind 13th Door Haunted House, Glowing Greens Miniature Golf and Haunted Productions, this offers you the challenge to find the clues keeping you locked in the room and escape within an hour. But, as the website suggests, it's not as easy as it sounds. Located at 3855 SW Murray Blvd in Portland, OR, you can challenge your wits (and those of your team mates) to solve the puzzle before time expires. I don't know what happens if you don't succeed, but that's part of the fun. For more details, visit the link.

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Bleedingham, a Northwest Horror Short Film Festival, is now excepting submissions. The chosen films will screen at the Pickford Film Cinema (1318 Bay St) in Bellingham, WA later this year. More details can be found at the official website.

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You can still have your Lovecraftian film considered for the H. P. Lovecraft Film Festival and CthulhuCon, which happens October 7 to 9 at The Hollywood Theatre (4122 NE Sandy Blvd in Portland, OR). For more details, visit the Official Website.

Oh, and you can still register for the Lovecraft Under the Gun: A 72 Hour Film Project. Filming must take place between September 2 and 5 (keep in mind, that's Labor Day weekend). The idea is to make a Lovecraftian film in just 72 hours, and have it judge by the folks attending the festival. Yeah, you need to make it Lovecraftian (it's in the rules, and you know the HPLFF audience will know if you pulled it off or not) and there are prop and line requirements that will be reveled upon registration, which is IN PERSON at Sam's Hollywood Billiards (1945 NE 41st Ave in Portland, OR). All completed films and paperwork must be turned in between 7 and 9 pm on Monday, September 5. There is a $20 entry fee for each team. For more details, visit the HPLFF Portland, OR website link.

Oh, and I'll be a guest at this year's event! Please be sure to say hello if you happen to attend a panel I'm on, or just see me walking about. You won't miss me, as I'll be the big guy in the Lovecraft tee shirt and black Stumptown Kilt!

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Submissions are still open for the Eat Your Heart Out Horror Film Festival (formerly Northwest Horrorfest), a festival that runs every two years in downtown Seattle, WA. You have until August 31 to submit a film under the Late Deadline rules, but if you want to wait until the last minute, the Extended Deadline is December 31. The festival has a few rules concerning submissions, so be sure to check the link for all the details, and to submit your film.

No word on a venue for the 2017 festival as of yet, though it will take place on Valentines Day weekend, so keep checking back here for updates!

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The Haunted Nightmare 2016 Fall Campout for volunteers happens on September 10 at Haunted Nightmare (6601 24th St SW in Mountlake Terrace, WA). Orientation starts at 3 pm, but bring a tent, as well as a potluck item, and plan to spend the night, as the after hour festivities include horror movies and other spooky fun! For more details, visit the Facebook Event Page.

The Hunted Nightmare opens to the public on October 7.

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The 48 Hour Film Horror Project in Seattle, WA, has issued a challenge to local filmmakers. Create a horror film in just 48 hours and, should you win, your flick will be screened at Filmapalooza 2017! Early Bird Registration ends on Monday, September 12 (the fee is $150 USD), but you can wait until Friday, October 7 for Regular Registration ($175 USD). More more details, and to register your team, visit the Official Website.

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If you're interested in joining the Zombie Fest Northwest Makeup Team, block out your calendar for Saturday, September 17 and contact Darla at info@skinperfectinseattle.com. You can help create zombies for this all-ages, family friendly event designed to raise awareness concerning disaster preparedness, and help raise money for the Highland Food Bank, the Des Moines Food Bank, Highline Schools Foundation Excel Grant Program and the Friends of Normandy Park Foundation. Visit the Facebook Event Page for more details.

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The Spirit of Halloweentown returns to the the city of St. Helens in Oregon for a month full of amazing events. From the St. Helens Halloween Parade today at 4:30 pm, to haunted tours, pumpkin carving contests, a Howl-oween 5K dog walk, and more, this should be on every Northwest Halloween fan's calendar! You'll find plenty of events happening in the area through Halloween Night, so check out the Official Website link for all the events and details. And, should you want to be a part of the Halloween Parade, the photo above gives you most of the details.

Buy it NOW!

Fabio Frizzi, composer for some of Lucio Fulci's horror classics such as Zombie, The Beyond and Gates of Hell, is coming to The Hollywood Theatre (4122 NE Sandy Blvd in Portland, OR) at 8 pm on Monday, October 3, to perform tracks from these classic films LIVE with a seven piece orchestra! Frizzi 2 Fulci starts at 8 pm, with general admission only $25. But, for $50, you can be part of a meet and greet event at 6 pm. For more details, and a link to advance ticket sales, visit The Hollywood Theatre official website. This event WILL sell out, so buy your tickets as soon as possible!

August, 2016

Wednesday, August 24

Weird Wednesday at The Joy Cinema and Pub (11959 SW Pacific Highway in Tigard, OR) screens Santo in the Wax Museum (Santo en el museo de cera) tonight at 9:15 pm. No, it's not a Luchador remake of House of Wax (at least according to IMDb, but wouldn't that be AWESOME!), but instead, it's the masked Mexican wrestler discovering a series of kidnappings are linked to a mad doctor using the victims to create an army of monsters. And, of course, Santo wrestles the snot out of them and saves the day. Really, is that a spoiler? Nope. As always, admission is free (though you must be 21 or older to attend), so be sure to loosen up your pursestrings and spend some money at the concession stand. Seriously, if you bring outside stuff into a free movie, I hope El Santo jumps off the screen and lands an elbow into your face. Karma, folks. For more details, visit The Joy Cinema website.

Thursday, August 25

Pemco Outdoor Movies at Magnuson Park (7400 Sand Point Way NE in Seattle, WA) presents a screening of the Pacific Northwest favorite, The Goonies, presented by Seattle Children's. Admission is $5 per person at the door, with kids 5 and under admitted into the event for free. Festivities start at 6:30 pm with entertainment and food carts, the movie starts at dusk. For more details, visit the event's official website or the Facebook Event Page (where any cancellation information will be posted). Remember, Seattle parks are smoke-free.

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The PDX Drive-In Movie Spectacular returns this year to The Portland Expo Center (2060 N. Marine Dr. in Portland, OR) with a screening tonight of Alfred Hitchcock's classic, Psycho! The giant screen on the center's 53 acre campus is intended to replicate the bygone era of the classic drive-in theater. Only now, in place of the speaker boxes, sound will be accessible via your car's radio, thanks to a special FM frequency.

But if you don't have a car, NO WORRIES! Outdoor speakers are set up for bicyclists and pedestrians, so no one will miss out. The show starts with music from Big Yellow Taxi, an Americana band from Oregon City (visit their Facebook Page for more details), followed by the feature after the sun has set. Tickets are $13 for a carload or groups of three to six individuals, or 5$ for individuals walking or biking to the screening. For more details, and a list of the other non-genre offerings (screenings start on August 24), visit the Official Website.

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Sorry, folks, but I didn't see this one coming. Had I known, it would have been on the calendar sooner. The Joy Cinema and Pub's (11959 SW Pacific Highway in Tigard, OR) final screening of John Carpenter's The Thing is tonight at 9 pm. Visit The Joy Cinema website for more details.

Friday, August 26

Central Cinema (1411 21 Ave in Seattle, WA) is screening Jim Henson's dark classic, The Dark Crystal, through Tuesday, August 30. For more details and showtimes, visit the theater's official website.

The Hollywood Theatre (4122 NE Sandy Blvd in Portland, OR) and the Columbia River Theatre Organ Society presents the first of the Fall Science Fiction Silent Movie Series. Opening the series is a double feature, Georges Melies A Trip to the Moon (Le Voyage dans la Lune) from 1902, considered the first Sci Fi film ever made. It's followed by the Willis O'Brien stop motion classic, The Lost World (1925), which involves an expedition to a land where dinosaurs still live. And if fantastic flights of fancy aren't enough to entice you, Dean Lemire will provide live organ accompaniment on the Beverly Ruth Nelson memorial organ! The show starts at 2 pm and tickets are just $12, For more details, and a link to advance ticket sales, visit The Hollywood Theatre website.

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It's only 66 days until Halloween and The Jack London Bar (529 SW 4th Ave in Portland, OR) is kicking off the celebration tonight at 9 pm. Oubiette and Dementia presents a party feature dark dancing with undead DJ Apocalypse and DJ NoN, hosted by Screamvina. You'll also find some spooky fun hosted by the Unchained Girls and a costume contest. No cover charge, though you must be 21 or older to attend. For more details, visit the Facebook Event Page.

Sunday, August 28

Considered the start of the Psycho-biddy subgenre, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane screens tonight, in GLORIOUS 35mm, at the Whitsell Auditorium (1219 SW Park Ave) in Portland, OR. Oh, you know you don't want to miss the rage between personal and profession rivals Joan Crawford and Bette Davis channeled into a shocking (for the time) movie directed by Robert Aldrich. Toss in a boiled bird and it's ON! The show starts at 7 pm, and you'll find more details, and advance ticket sales, at the official website.

Monday, August 29

Director and illustrator Mark Andres calls his version of Dracula: A Modern Silent Film a "kinographic novel," a hybrid of silent cinema and a graphic novel. Winner of the best animated film award at the Independent Filmmakers Showcase in Los Angeles this May, this version of the timeless classic screens at The Hollywood Theatre (4122 NE Sandy Blvd in Portland, OR) tonight at 7 pm. Both director Andres and composer Rachel Knight will be attending the screening. Tickets are $9. and you'll find more details, as well as a link for advance ticket sales, at The Hollywood Theatre website.

Tuesday, August 30

Kevin Smith's Yoga Hosers has it's Premiere Party tonight in theaters around the nation. Fathom Events will screen the film in theaters nationwide tonight only. And the event will feature exclusive content with director Smith. The showtime is 7 pm and you can find out more details about a screening in your area, and purchase advance tickets, at the Fathom website.

September, 2016

Thursday, September 1

Fathom Events is bringing the premiere of Rob Zombie's 31 to theaters around the nation tonight at 7 pm. The screening includes the world premiere of the Gore Whore and Get Your Boots On music videos, a Q and A with writer/director Zombie and a "special look behind the scenes." In case you haven't heard, the movie is about a group of people who are captured on Halloween night and forced to fight for their lives in a game pitting them against homicidal clowns. To locate a theater near you screening the film, and to purchase advance tickets, visit the Fathom Events website.

Friday, September 2

Okay, I just read the synopsis for Kevin Smith's Yoga Hosers, and wow, it sounds WEIRD! Two 15-year-old yoga fanatics (Lily Rose Depp and Harley Quinn Smith) must join forces with a legendary man-hunter (played by Johnny Depp, and yes, quite related to one of the leads) to defeat an ancient evil arising from beneath Canada's crust and threatening their invitation of a Grade 12 party. According to the synopsis, yoga poses will be involved, as well as a slew of guest actors. The film opens tonight at The Kiggins Theatre (1011 Main St) in Vancouver, WA. No word on showtimes yet, so check back closer to the opening date, or keep an eye on the theater's official website.

Sunday, September 4

I remember, when I was young (no wisecracks about my age or you can just get off my lawn! Hehe), The Wizard of Oz was a scary film. Sure, I saw it on broadcast TV with commercial breaks, and the film has many lighter moments, but Margaret Hamilton is TERRIFYING! And her flying monkeys are pretty nasty as well. So, if you want to relive your childhood, or introduce your youngsters to scary movies, head to Overlook Park (599 N Fremont St in Portland, OR) for a screening courtesy of Movies in the Park. Festivities start at 6:30 pm with the band Echoes of Yasgurs, FREE POPCORN and admission is free as well! The film starts around dusk. Remember to bring some warm clothes, as nights in the Northwest can get chilly. And be sure to follow the park rules: No alcohol at this event, all dogs MUST be leashed and NO smoking or other tobacco products (I'm going to assume that includes vaping, but you can call and find out). For more details, visit the Portland Parks official website. Also, please be aware that the event can be cancelled if the weather doesn't cooperate (but I'd say the chances of a rainout this early in September are slim).

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Should you attend any of these events, please let the organizers know you read about it at The Shadow Over Portland!